Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-27
pATRoNYMIcs OF MANY KINDS.
Some Queer English and German Names
and Their Supposed Origin.

"Got stuck? Well, that is news, said
the reporter who overheard the remark.
GLOW did that happen?"
"Oh, you misunderstood! / said he has
got Stock-not stuck. He has been after
him for some time"
"You mean that Mr.. Stock is dead?'
asked the reporter.
The German was so amused that he
was unable to reply for a minute or two,
being nearly choked with laughter. Il
mean that my %neighbor, Teufel, the
butcher, has been trying for some time to
hire a man named Stock, with whom |
am acquainted, and has at last succeeded
in engaging him. Now, do you catch
on?''
'Well of all queer names, Teufel is
the queerest,' said the reporter.
1T is a respectable German surname,
and no stranger than many other family
names would appear if converted into
English said the grocer. For instance,
! know a man named Zehfuss-toe nail.
Then we have Dreifuss. which means
three feet; Langbein, long legs; Ochsen-
hirt, OK herd; Kleinhans, little Jack;
Wolfschlager, wolf killer; Hundsblut,
'itS = Dlpb'l. i lbllhltNl, IlUlltdht, builtl-
finger, crooked finger: Schwarzkopf,
black head; Grosskopf, big head; Kalbs-
fleisch, veal; Knobeloch, garlic; Kraut,
cabbage, and scores of others that | could
lame.
For long names takes these: Riemen-
schneider, Blankenbuhler, Schluessel-
Drummer. Schneiderlochner, S~ongenecker
and Guckenheimer. Some of the Penn
sylvania Dutch names which have been
partly transformed into English are the
worst. Up in Armstrong county there
are several families by the name of
Schrcckengeist, which signifies in Ger
man n ghost or specter Of terrible appear
ance. One would think the name could
be made no worse, but some of the people
have succeeded in Transforming it into
Shr%iekingghost. Milliron, M~orningstar,
Redheffer and Barndollar are other Ger
man names which have been partly
translated"
Il don't know the origin of sur
names, said a literary friend, in CONVEX
sation with the reporter. at is certainly
very ancient, and a mark distinguishing
civilized people from savages. The
Romans had double, treble or even quad
ripple names, as, for example, Caius
Julius CHser, Tarquinius Superbus and
Quintus Fabius Maximus. Frequently
an honorary name was added to COM
memorate some warlike achievement;
Fabius was called Cunctator and Scipio
Africanus.
''Anglo SaXons appear to have first
given surnames indicating some moral or
mental attributes, as, for instance, Wise,
Good, Swift. Jolly, Merry, Meek, Gay,
Goodman, Makepeace, etc. Then we
have names indicating real or fancied re-
semblance to some animal, such as Bear,
Lion, Wolf, Hogg, Hart and Hare.
From physical characteristics or peculi-
arities must have originated such names
as Long. Short, Black, Brown, White,
Whitehead, Crookshank, Strong, Arm
strong. Longfellow and Greathead. A
nickname kept in a family for a genera.
ton or two becomes a patronymic
Hence such names as Hopper, Jumper,
Springer, Daddysman. Poor and Rich.
THE Nc and O of the Irish and the
Mac of the Scotch Indicate descent
There is another way in which the same
thing is shown: Adams son become,
Adamson, David's son Davidson, Thomp
son, Wilson, Williamson, Donaldson
Anderson and many other names ar,
similarly derived. Localities or places o
residence originally gave rise to sucl
names as Hill, Dale, Wood, Green
Greenwood, Heath, Rivers, Waters anC
Parks. Such names as Welsh, French
Irish, Ireland, English and Scott ma,
perhaps be traced back to the %nationalit,
of some remote ancestor.
The names which were derived iron
occupations are probably more numerou
than any other class. We all know how
widespread the Smith family is. In tn
same category belong the Clarks clerk
originally, Cooks, Coopers, Bakers
BARRIERS, Taylors, Shoemakers, Tanners
Farmers and others. The months or day
in which people were born originated sucl
names as May, June, January, March
Friday and Monday.
THE inns of old England are probabl,
responsible for many names. For in
stance, John of the Rose became Johl
Rose; Thomas of the Bell, became Ton
Bell; Richard of the Hawk, Richar,
Henry Greathouse, and so on, until ther
Is scarcely Il DlTu, amman Ut OtIeT ueNlC
that ever figured On a s%ignboard that
not perpetuated as a family name.
There are, perhaps, as many quee
names among the English as among an
people on earth. Dickens stories aboun
in them, but very few of his names wer
manufactured. Such names as Slaughter
Startup, Gotobed, Deadman, Churchyard
Dogberry and Fudge are found in Englis
directories"
Sometimes the very queerest of name
get coupled together as the title of
firm. Here are a few specimens: Hoo
& Ketch, Cobb & Hay, Peacock & Spal
row, Fox & Crane, Singer & Hootel
, Drake & Gander, Fisher & Fowler, Coz
lin g. Pond, Wild & Free.
The poverty of invention of the pionee
, community in America in the matter c
names for towns results in bestowin
, some absurd appellations on backwood'
/. hamlets. Who IA name a county, eithe
; east or west, which has not some strag
Cling village styled Paris, Oxford, Jeru
salem, London, Berlin, or something els